- Anyone who’s accidentally tasted ear wax knows it has an awful, sour flavor.
- Otolaryngologist Dr. Seth Schwartz told INSIDER that ear wax tends to be acidic.
- We know acidic foods also taste sour, so ear wax’s distinct flavor makes sense.
- Ear wax is acidic for a reason. Schwartz said it has to with ear wax’s natural ability to fight bacterial and fungal infections in the ear.
At some point in your life, you’ve probably sampled a taste of your own earwax by accident. (Or on purpose! No shame in being curious.) You’ve also probably discovered that it’s disgusting.
Why does ear wax have such a sour, bitter taste? INSIDER turned to Dr. Seth Schwartz, an otolaryngologist at Virginia Mason Medical Center, for answers.
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Schwartz said he couldn’t speak specifically to the taste of the stuff, but he did tell INSIDER that ear wax “tends to be acidic.”
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And since acidic substances — think lemon juice, vinegar, or tomatoes — register to our taste buds as sour, it makes sense that ear wax has such face-puckering flavor.
Schwartz also told INSIDER that ear wax is this way for a reason. That acidity helps fend off infections.
“[The acidity] has to do with [ear wax’s] antifungal and antibacterial properties,” he said. “It’s part of the natural defense of fighting infection in the ear.”
It’s true: Ear wax isn’t just gross stuff you try to scrape out of your ear canals with q-tip. (By the way: Here’s why using q-tips will never actually remove ear wax.) It protects and lubricates the skin of the ear canal and keeps debris from reaching your eardrum. Plus, research shows it has the ability to fight bacteria and fungi, as otolaryngologist Noah S. Siegel previously told INSIDER.
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It may have a reputation as a nuisance to be removed at all costs, but wax is actually important for ear health. And the truth is that most people don’t need to remove theirs at all.
A small percentage of the population can have excessive ear wax buildup that blocks the ear canal and causes real symptoms, according to guidelines released last year by the American Academy of Otolaryngology. Those cases can be effectively treated by doctors with a number of nifty methods.
The rest of us should just let ear wax do its job — and try our best to avoid tasting it ever again.
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Source: https://t-tees.com
Category: WHY
